The Review: Nicholas Boer is smitten with Belli Osteria, Paul Oprescu’s
Berkeley restaurant that centers around pasta. There are some amateurish aspects to the Shattuck Avenue spot and more attention to detail could put it closer to Comal’s level next door, but by and large, it’s an endearing effort with many bright spots:

Pozole at Gallardo's in San Francisco. Photo: The Chronicle

With his restaurant experience limited to a stint at Berkeley’s now-closed Eccolo, the title of chef may fit Oprescu loosely. The menu is compelling, but the kitchen needs to work on consistency.

Ravioli, however, don’t disappoint. Rectangular pillows of pickled cabbage and pork are napped with a nutty emulsified broth of sweet onions and butter ($14). Vibrant cappellacci (“ugly hats”), stuffed with sweet potato and roasted garlic, are smartly paired with a vibrant beet sauce ($14) … Hunting, farming, offal and sausage making are all part of Oprescu’s Romanian childhood, and these lend a refined gutsiness to Belli Osteria’s cuisine.

Final rating: 2.5 stars

Bargain Bites: Juan Gallardo’s Mexican restaurant on the Mission-SoMa border is open for breakfast and lunch, but Gallardo’s shines when it comes to soups. It’s all about albondigas, pork and hominy-rich pozole, menudo and more.

The Inside Scoop: Last week was a look back at the year in restaurant buzz, and this week’s print column looks ahead to 2013, running down some of the biggest restaurant openings already en route. Of course, there are dozens of new deals that will come to fruition very soon and/or in the coming weeks and months. It’s going to be a fun year…